All 1,700 private schools in Delhi to come under fee regulation: Ashish Sood

New Delhi, Aug 15 (IANS) Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood on Friday organised a dialogue programme titled “Parents’ Town Hall” in Janakpuri Assembly, informing parents that all 1,700 private schools will come under the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Act, 2025.

During the interaction, Ashish Sood clarified that due to a loophole in the 1973 law, only 300 of Delhi’s 1,700 private schools were subject to fee regulation.

“With the new law, all private schools will now come under the ambit of fee regulation. The new process also lays down specific timelines – committee decision by 15 July, district-level decision by 30 July, and final decision by September. If no decision is made within 45 days, the matter will go to the appellate committee,” he said.

Sood shed light on every important detail related to the Education Bill such as how the Bill was implemented, what rights parents have under it, and how they can be part of this historic change. Parents were given comprehensive information on all these aspects.

Around 200 parents from Janakpuri participated in the programme, discussed the Education Bill with the Minister, and sought detailed information on various provisions. They also shared several important suggestions with the Minister and requested him to address their concerns about the Bill at the earliest.

The Education Minister assured parents that every child in the capital will now get quality education and that no child will be deprived of education due to financial reasons.

He said that private schools are necessary for Delhi, but transparency and accountability in fee fixation are equally essential.

The Minister informed the gathering that in the Monsoon Session of the Assembly, the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025 was passed with a majority.

This Bill will put an end to arbitrary practices by private schools and ensure transparency in fee fixation, active participation of parents, and veto power on fee hikes.

The Bill provides that if any school increases its fees without government approval, it will face a fine ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 10 lakh, and in case of failure to refund excess charges, double the penalty will be imposed.

The Director of Education will be given powers similar to an SDM to ensure uniform action against all schools.

Sood said that previous governments neither brought transparency in the education sector nor created a robust system or law for fee regulation. Those who claimed to be the architects of an “education revolution” only carried out a liquor scam.

Our government has prepared this Bill after discussions with parents and several education experts, which will not only curb the commercialisation of education but also protect children’s dreams, he said.

He informed parents that in the new process of fee determination for private schools, parents and other stakeholders will have direct participation and a clear role. This will not only bring transparency but also protect parents from the burden of exorbitant fees.

The Minister further said that parents sent their children to private schools because the previous government, under the guise of an “education revolution,” made no real improvements in education and only misled people through advertisements.

He emphasised that if government schools had better classrooms, environment, and facilities, no parent would be paying Rs 10,000 per month in fees. Under the new law, several stakeholders – including parents, students, teachers, non-teaching staff, school management, and government representatives – will be involved in the process of fee fixation.

--IANS

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